Scrying The Fantastic

Sad Goodbye

2010-06-15T14:49:00.001-07:00

As you might have noticed “Scrying the Fantastic” has not been updated in a while, which for a blog that posts timely accounts of the newest releases is never a good sign. Alas, this is one of those ‘we need to talk’ posts. And we do need to talk, dear readers. First of all, thank you for reading, sticking around and following the blog. We appreciate your support in these early stages, but “Scrying the Fantastic” will no longer be updated.

The Justice League of Bloggers has disbanded. Ominous and sad, but what can one do, when life happens. Shortly after we started, several of our teammates needed to step down, because they had to take care of things off-line. Because time runs short and almost everyone has his or her blog and commitments online, we couldn’t properly organize and fill in the gaps. Soon we were faced with the tough decision to forge on [stumbling, teetering and what not] or just admit that the timing was not right and we had not planned for life and its guerilla tactics.

As summer creeps on and the individual to-do lists accumulate mass, we were forced to take on the second option. Yeah, it sucks. We had plans and ambitions. We also didn’t want to disappoint anyone, but alas as the [censored] poet says ‘crap happens’.

May 2010 Releases | Abaddon

2010-05-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

Children's Crusade by Scott Andrews

Publisher:Abaddon
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906735-53-1

Release Date: 13/05/2010
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Series/Stand Alone: Third novel in a trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: The orphaned children of post-Cull Britain have always been easy prey for gangs, cults and killers. But now something has changed. Organised teams are roaming the country, taking children from their homes and villages, spiriting them away into the night. Jane Crowther is willing to risk everything to rescue them, but to save the children, Jane must confront the woman she used to be, and the man who killed her. This is the third and final year of St Mark’s school for Boys and Girls. But it’s not going down without a fight!

Cold Warriors by Rebecca Levene

Publisher: Abaddon
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906735-36-4

Release Date: 13/05/2010
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Series/Stand Alone: First novel in a series

Publisher's Blurb: “You died twenty years ago. Welcome back...”

At the height of the Cold War, the British secret services formed the Hermetic Division, an agency charged with using supernatural means to defend the nation. Its primary mission: to find the mysterious Ragnarok artifacts, said to have the power to end the world. Now, two of the division’s most powerful agents are sent on the trail of a corrupt Russian oligarch who may possess the artefacts. Their perilous journey will take them across Europe and into the darkest reaches of the occult!

The Infernal Game: Cold Warriors is the start of an exciting new series of supernatural thrillers, mixing espionage with diabolism.

May 2010 Releases | Solaris

2010-05-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

Circus of Sins by Nathasa Rhodes

Publisher: Solaris
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906735-72-2

Release Date: 17/05/2010
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Series/Stand Alone: Third novel in a series

Publisher's Blurb:

When young Hunter recruit Kayla Steele is bitten by a werewolf, she thinks it’s the end of her world. However, little does she know that the real end of the world is not far off. Master vampire, Harlequin, has made a deal with the devil, and plans to commit the ultimate sin by killing an angel and triggering the Third War in Heaven... which could wipe out mankind forever. Kalya must join forces with her ultimate enemies, the werewolves, in order to stave off Armageddon and save the man she loves from the clutches of Hell – or die trying.

The Noise Within by Ian Whates

Publisher: Solaris
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906735-64-7

Release Date: 17/05/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: First in a series

Publisher's Blurb: On the brink of perfecting the long sought-after human/AI interface, Philip Kaufman finds his world thrown into turmoil as a scandal from the past returns to haunt him and dangerous information falls into his hands. Pursued by assassins and attacked in his own home, he flees. Leyton, a government black-ops specialist, is diverted from his usual duties to hunt down the elusive pirate vessel The Noise Within, wondering all the while why this particular
freebooter is considered so important. Two lives collide in this stunning space-opera from novelist Ian Whates!

Irons in the Fire by Juliet E. McKena

Publisher: Solaris
Format: Paperback
ISBN:978-1-906735-82-1

Release Date: 13/05/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: First in a Series

Publisher's Blurb: The start of a brand new epic fantasy series from well known author Juliet McKenna. Irons In The Fire tells of political upheaval born of civil war in the country of Lescar. Carved out of the collapse of the Old Tormalin Empire, the land has long been laid waste by its rival dukes, while bordering nations look on with indifference or exploit its misery. A mismatched band of exiles and rebels are agreed that the time has come for change. Full of rich characters and high adventure, this trilogy marks the next stage in the career of this popular writer.

May 2010 Releases | Robinson Publishing

2010-05-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Mammoth Book of Apocalyptic SF edited by Mike Ashley

Publisher: Robinson
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781849013055

Release Date: 27/05/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: Stories of the fall of civilisation, the destruction of the Earth and the end of the Universe itself
The last sixty years have been full of stories of one or other possible Armageddon, whether by nuclear war, plague, cosmic catastrophe or, more recently, global warming, terrorism, genetic engineering, AIDS and other pandemics. These stories, both pre- and post-apocalyptic, describe the fall of civilization, the destruction of the entire Earth, or the end of the Universe itself. Many of the stories reflect on humankind’s infinite capacity for self-destruction, but the stories are by no means all downbeat or depressing – one key theme explores what the aftermath of a cataclysm might be and how humans strive to survive.

May 2010 Releases | Tor UK/Pan Macmillan

2010-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Kraken by China Mieville

Publisher: Macmillan
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780333989500

Release Date: 07/05/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Thriller
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: A dark urban fantasy thriller from one of the all-time masters of the genre
Deep in the research wing of the Natural History Museum is a prize specimen, something that comes along much less often than once in a
lifetime: a perfect, and perfectly preserved, giant squid. But what does it mean when the creature suddenly and impossibly disappears?
For curator Billy Harrow it's the start of a headlong pitch into a London of warring cults, surreal magic, apostates and assassins. It might just be that the creature he's been preserving is more than a biological rarity: there are those who are sure it's a god.
A god that someone is hoping will end the world.

God Of Clocks by Alan Campbell

Publisher: Tor UK
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780330444781

Release Date: 07/05/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 3 of the Deepgate Codex

Publisher's Blurb: 'One of Brit-fantasy's stars' - SFX
The gates to Hell have been opened, releasing unnatural creatures and threatening to turn the world into a killing field. In the middle, caught between warring gods and fallen angels, humanity finds itself pushed to the brink of extinction. Its only hope is the most unlikely of heroes . . .
Former assassin Rachel Hael has rejoined the blood-magician Mina Greene and her devious little dog Basilis on one last desperate mission to save the world from the grip of Hell. Carried in the jaw of a debased angel, they rush to the final defensive stronghold of the god of clocks – pursued all the while by the twelve arconites, the great iron-and-bone automatons controlled by King Menoa, the lord of the maze.
But the strange fortress of the god of clocks is unlike anything they could ever have expected. And now old enemies and new allies join in a battle whose outcome could end them all...

Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke

Publisher: Tor UK
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780330514019

Release Date: 07/05/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: A reissue of an all-time science fiction classic
Earth has become a Utopia, guided by a strange unseen people from outer space whose staggering powers have eradicated war, cruelty, poverty and racial inequality. When the 'Overlords' finally reveal themselves, their horrific form makes little impression.
Then comes the sign that the Overlords have been waiting for. A child begins to dream strangely - and develops remarkable powers. Soon this happens to every child - and the truth of the Overlords' mission is finally revealed to the human race...

Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill

Publisher: Pan
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780330514965

Release Date: 21/05/2010
Genre: Horror
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: A spine chilling horror novel from a new British talent...
Some doors are better left closed . . .
In Barrington House, an upmarket block in London, there is an empty apartment. No one goes in, no one comes out. And it’s been that way for fifty years. Until the night watchman hears a disturbance after midnight and investigates. What he experiences is enough to change his life forever.
A young American woman, Apryl, arrives at Barrington House. She's been left an apartment by her mysterious Great Aunt Lillian who died in strange circumstances. Rumours claim Lillian was mad. But her diary suggests she was implicated in a horrific and inexplicable event decades ago.
Determined to learn something of this eccentric woman, Apryl begins to unravel the hidden story of Barrington House. She discovers that a transforming, evil force still inhabits the building. And the doorway to Apartment 16 is a gateway to something altogether more terrifying . . .

May 2010 Releases | Penguin UK

2010-04-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Complete Cosmiconics by Italo Calvino

Publisher: Penguin Classic
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780141189680

Release Date: 06/05/10
Genre: Classic
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: Enchanting stories about the evolution of the universe, with characters that are fashioned from mathematical formulae and cellular structures. They disport themselves among galaxies, experience the solidification of planets, move from aquatic to terrestrial existence, play games with hydrogen atoms - and have time for a love life.

'Naturally, we were all there, - old Qfwfq said, - where else could we have been? Nobody knew then that there could be space. Or time either: what use did we have for time, packed in there like sardines?'

Dracula (RED) by Bram Stoker

Publisher: Penguin Classic
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 97801194332

Release Date: 20/05/2010
Genre: Classic
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania is a hellish world where night is day, pleasure is pain and the blood of the innocent is priceless. When the unsuspecting Jonathan Harker is summoned there to meet the count, he has no idea of the horrors that await him. Soon an epic battle begins, in which Jonathan must protect the living - including his beautiful fiancée Mina - from the gathering forces of the undead.

Books can change lives. Penguin Classics have inspired the imaginations of millions of readers over the world, transforming the way people think and feel forever. And now we have partnered with (RED) to bring you our selection of some of the best stories ever written, books are going to help save lives too.

And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer

Publisher: Penguin
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780141042138

Release Date: 27/05/10
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Part six of three

Publisher's Blurb: Arthur Dent's accidental association with that wholly remarkable book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has not been entirely without incident.

Arthur has travelled the length, breadth and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled forwards and backwards through time. He has been blown up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released and colourfully insulted more than is strictly necessary. And, of course, he has comprehensively failed to grasp the meaning of life, the universe and everything.

Arthur has, though, finally made it home to Earth. But that does not mean he has escaped his fate.

For Arthur's chances of getting his hands on a decent cuppa are evaporating along with the world's oceans. Because no sooner has he arrived than he finds out that Earth is about to be blown up . . . again.

May 2010 Releases | Headline Publishing Group

2010-04-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780755370962

Release Date: 13/05/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with the country's war effort. Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane -- the High Council's most feared man -- recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace. The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft -- a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft.

April 2010 Releases | Penguin UK

2010-04-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

Demon Defenders: Playground Plague by Jake Lancing

Publisher: Puffin

Age: 8-12

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9780141324616

Release Date: 01/04/10

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher's Blurb: When another experiment goes disastrously wrong and the gang end up falling through the ceiling into the bathroom (where a shower-cap adorned Tabbris sits fuming at his young angel charges) the gang decide a change of leadership is required. Spit takes over and suddenly things seem to be going OK - trouble seems to be a distant memory. That is, until the gang's pet rat goes missing and the footprints in the fridge are bigger than any rat they've ever seen - or ever want to . . .

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Format: Hardback

ISBN: 9780718155582

Release Date: 01/04/2010
ePub Release Date: 01/04/2010

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher's Blurb: The Nephilim were on the earth in those days Genesis 6:4. When Sister Evangeline finds mysterious correspondence between Mother Innocenta of the Saint Rose Convent and legendary philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller, it confirms Angels walked among us - and their descendants, the cruel Nephilim, still do. Indeed, the Nephilim are hunting for artefacts concealed by Abigail Rockefeller during the Second World War - objects that will ultimately allow them to enslave mankind - and have so far been prevented from reaching their apocalyptic goal by one, clandestine organisation: The Angelology Society. And if the Angelologists are to stand any chance of winning this new battle in the ages-old war, they must find the artefacts first. But their fate rests in the hands of innocent Sister Evangeline, who holds the key to unlocking Abigail Rockefeller's hiding places ...and whose own destiny may yet find her prey to the terrifying Nephilim army, with horrifying consequences for humanity.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Publisher: Penguin

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9780141047553

Release Date: 15/04/2010

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher's Blurb: While clearing out her grandmother's cottage for sale, Connie Goodwin finds a hidden parchment inscribed with the name Deliverance Dane. And so begins the hunt to uncover the woman behind the name, a hunt that takes her back to Salem in 1692 ...and the infamous witchcraft trials. But nothing is entirely as it seems and when Connie unearths the existence of Deliverance's spell book, the Physick Book, the situation takes on a menacing edge as interested parties reveal their desperation to find this precious artefact at any cost. What secrets does the Physick Book contain? What magic is scrawled across its parchment pages? Connie must race to answer these questions - and reveal the truth about Salem's women - before an ancient family curse once more fulfils its dark and devastating prophecy...

April 2010 Releases | Newcon Press

2010-04-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Conflicts edited by Ian Whates

Publisher: Newcon Press
Format: Ltd Edition Hardback/Paperback
ISBN: Hardback: 9781907069109, Paperback: 9781907069116

Release Date: April 2010
Genre: Sci-Fi
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: A spaceship hurtles into the unknown carrying humanity’s last hope, but does it also carry the seeds of its own doom? The galaxy’s ultimate facilitator finds himself pursued by relentless enemies, while, of greater importance, there’s a puzzle to be solved. A trivial disagreement between two off-duty super soldiers out for some R&R escalates and escalates, eventually endangering an entire world. Thirteen tales of human striving, of ingenuity, brilliance, desperate action, violence, and resolution. Thirteen tales of Conflict, of Science Fiction at its absolute best. All stories are original.

1 - Introduction – Ian Whates
2 - Psi.Copath – Andy Remic
3 - The Maker’s Mark – Michael Cobley
4 - Sussed – Keith Brooke
5 - The Cuisinart Effect – Neal Asher
6 - Harmony in My Head – Rosanne Rabinowitz
7 - Our Land – Chris Beckett
8 - Fallout – Gareth L. Powell
9 - Proper Little Soldier – Martin McGrath
10 - War Without End – Una McCormack
11 - Dissimulation Procedure – Eric Brown
12 - In the Long Run – David L. Clements
13 - Last Orders – Jim Mortimore
14 - Songbirds – Martin Sketchley

The Unlikely World of Faraway Frankie by Keith Brooke

Publisher: Newcon Press
Format: Ltd Edition Hardback/Paperback
ISBN: Hardback: 9781907069123, Paperback: 9781907069130

Release Date: April 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: We’ve all dreamt of Faraway, a place so like the world we know but where we make the rules. For Frankie Finnegan, a boy whose sister has died, whose family is in meltdown and whose school life is blighted by bullies, such dreams have a keener edge. Until one day he wakes up in Faraway. His World; His Rules; His Dream; where Grace is still alive and his parents can be happy again.
Yet it soon becomes clear that he’s not the only one with power in Faraway, and the mysterious ‘Owner’ doesn’t take kindly to interference. Things start to unravel, and Frankie’s Dream slides inexorably towards Nightmare…

Orgasmachine by Ian Watson

Publisher: Newcon Press
Format: Ltd Edition Hardback/Paperback
ISBN: Hardback: 9781907069147, Paperback: 9781907069154

Release Date: April 2010
Genre: Sci-Fi
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: Forget Stepford Wives; this goes way beyond anything seen in Stepford.

The Three Laws of Feministics:
1. Your body is not your own; it belongs to another. Therefore you may not damage it nor, through inaction, allow it to be damaged.
2. You must obey all orders given you by your owner (or in cases of loss of ownership, by any man) even if such orders conflict with the First Law.
3. You may not injure any man, nor through failure to comply with the Second Law, cause him displeasure or mental injury.

Women as chattels, as customised sexslaves; bodies freakishly modified to their owners’ dictates, personalities preset to order. Welcome to the world of the Orgasmachine. But Jade and Mari escape their masters and dream of revenge, of revolution, of freedom…

April 2010 Releases | BBC Books

2010-04-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Doctor Who: The Forgotten Army by Brian Minchin

Publisher: BBC Books
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 184607987X
Release Date: 22/04/2010
Genre: Sci-Fi/Tie In
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: 'Let me tell you a story. Long ago, in the frozen Arctic wastes, an alien army landed. Only now, 10,000 years later, it isn’t a story. And the army is ready to attack.’

New York – one of the greatest cities on 21st century Earth... But what’s going on in the Museum? And is that really a Woolly Mammoth rampaging down Broadway? An ordinary day becomes a time of terror, as Ice Age creatures come back to life, and the Doctor and Amy meet a new and deadly enemy. The vicious Army of the Vykoid are armed to the teeth and determined to enslave the human race. Even though they’re only three inches high.

With the Vykoid army swarming across Manhattan and sealing it from the world with a powerful alien forcefield, Amy has just 24 hours to find the Doctor and save the city. If she doesn’t, the people of Manhattan will be taken to work in the doomed asteroid mines of the Vykoid home planet. But as time starts to run out, who can she trust? And how far will she have to go to free New York from the Forgotten Army?

A thrilling, all new adventure featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television

Doctor Who: Night of the Humans by David Llewellyn

Publisher: BBC Books
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 1846079691
Release Date: 22/04/2010
Genre: Sci-Fi/Tie In
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: 'This is the Gyre – the most hostile environment in the galaxy...’

250,000 years’ worth of junk floating in deep space, home to the shipwrecked Sittuun, the carnivorous Sollogs, and worst of all – the Humans. The Doctor and Amy arrive on this terrifying world in the middle of an all-out frontier war between Sittuun and Humans, and the countdown has already started. There’s a comet in the sky, and it’s on a collision course with the Gyre...

When the Doctor is kidnapped, it’s up to Amy and “galaxy-famous swashbuckler” Dirk Slipstream to save the day. But who is Slipstream, exactly? And what is he really doing here?

A thrilling, all new adventure featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television

Doctor Who: Apollo 23 by Justin Richards

Publisher: BBC Books
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 184607200X
Release Date: 22/04/2010
Genre: Sci-Fi/Tie In
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: 'For a few moments this afternoon, it rained on the moon...'

An astronaut in full spacesuit appears out of thin air in a busy shopping centre. Maybe it’s a publicity stunt. A photo shows a well-dressed woman in a red coat lying dead at the edge of a crater on the dark side of the moon – beside her beloved dog ‘Poochie’. Maybe it’s a hoax. But as the Doctor and Amy find out, these are just minor events in a sinister plan to take over every human being on earth. The plot centres on a secret military base on the moon – that’s where Amy and the TARDIS are.

The Doctor is back on Earth, and without the TARDIS there’s no way he can get to the moon to save Amy and defeat the aliens. Or is there? The Doctor discovers one last great secret that could save humanity: Apollo 23.

A thrilling, all new adventure featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television

April 2010 Releases | Pendragon Press

2010-04-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Silversands by Gareth L Powell

Publisher: Pendragon Press
Format: Hardback/Paperback
ISBN: 9781906864064
Release Date:10/04/2010
Genre: Sci-Fi
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb:In an age where interstellar travel is dangerous and unpredictable, and no-one knows exactly where they’ll end up, Avril Bradley is a Communications officer onboard a ship sent to re-contact as many of these lost souls as possible.

But a mysterious explosion strands her in a world of political intrigue, espionage and subterfuge; a world of retired cops, digital ghosts and corporate assassins who fight for possession of computer data that had lain undisturbed for almost a century. . .

This is the debut novel from the critically-acclaimed author of the short story collection The Last Reef, Gareth L Powell, with stunning cover artwork by Vincent Chong.

April 2010 Releases | Random House/Century

2010-04-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Star Wars - Fate of The Jedi: Backlash by Aaron Allston
Publisher: Century/Lucas Books (Random House)
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 184605687X

Release date: 15th April 2010
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera
Series/Standalone: Fourth in a series

Publisher Blurb:

Repercussions from the dark side’s fatal seduction of Jacen Solo and the mysterious plague of madness afflicting young Jedi continue to wreak havoc galaxy-wide in STAR WARS™: FATE OF THE JEDI: BACKLASH. Having narrowly escaped the deranged Force worshippers known as the Mind Walkers and a deadly Sith hit squad, Luke and Ben Skywalker are in pursuit of the now Masterless Sith apprentice. It is a chase that leads to the forbidding planet Dathomir, where an enclave of powerful dark side Force-wielders will give Vestara the edge she needs to escape—and where the Skywalkers will be forced into combat for their quarry and their lives.

Meanwhile, Han and Leia have completed their own desperate mission, shuttling madness-stricken Jedi from Coruscant to safe haven in the Transitory Mists and beyond the grasp of Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala. But the bold maneuver has intensified Daala’s fury, and she is determined to shatter Jedi Order resistance once and for all.

Yet no greater threat exists than that which still waits in the depths of the distant Maw Cluster: A being of pure, ravenous dark-side energy named Abeloth calls out across the stars to Jedi and Sith alike. For some it may be the ultimate source of answers crucial to their survival. For others it could be the ultimate weapon of conquest. But for all, it is a game-changing—and life-altering—encounter of untold magnitude and a tactical gambit with unimaginable consequences.

April 2010 Releases | Quercus

2010-04-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Freedom by Daniel Suarez

Publisher: Quercus

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 1849161763

Release Date: 01/04/2010

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Series/Standalone: Sequel to Daemon

Publisher Blurb:

The Daemon is now firmly in control and moving towards its endgame, using an expanding network of real-world, dispossessed darknet operatives to tear civilization apart and build it anew. As the global economy begins to fail, the world's most powerful organizations - monolithic corporations, complete with armies of their own - prepare to fight their unseen enemy. When a brutal civil war breaks out in the United States, former detective Pete Sebeck, now the Daemon's most powerful though reluctant operative, must lead a small band of enlightened humans to protect the new world order. Amid conflicting loyalties, rapidly diminishing human power and the possibility that anyone can be a daemon operative or a corporate spy, Sebeck knows that he embodies the last hope that freedom can survive the information revolution.

Black Hills by Dan Simmons

Publisher: Quercus
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 1849160880

Release Date: 18/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy/Historical
Series/Standalone: Standalone

Publisher Blurb:

Paha Sapa, 'Black Hills' is a Red Indian shaman who as a young boy at the Battle of Little Bighorn takes the ghost of the dying General Custer into his own body. Sixty years later as an old man working as a dynamiter on Mount Rushmore, he plots to blow it up. Meanwhile, Custer finds himself trapped in a strange, dark place and begins to write sensuous, heartbreaking missives to his beloved wife. Thus begins an intricate narrative that sweeps across decades of American history, building up a portrait of one country's relentless expansion and what was lost and destroyed in its path. Black Hills is historical fiction with Dan Simmons' trademark twist. He weaves in real places, events and people with his own uniquely weird take on reality to create a portrait of a world that is hilarious and tragic, spiritual and disturbing.

The Leaping by Tom Fletcher

Publisher; Quercus
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 1849161356

Release Date: 29/04/2010
Genre: Horror
Series/Standalone: First part of a series

Publisher Blurb:

Jack finished university three years ago, but he's still stuck in a dead-end job in a sinister call-centre in Manchester. When the beautiful (and rich) Jennifer comes into his life he thinks he has finally found his ticket out of there. Trouble is that his boss is interested in Jennifer as well, and there's something strangely bestial about him...So when Jennifer buys Fell House, a mysterious old mansion out in remote Cumbria, a house party on a legendary scale seems like the perfect escape. But as the party spins out of control on a seemingly neverending night, they must face up to the terrifying possibility that not all their guests may be human - and some of them want to feed. An astonishing and innovative blend of horror, folktale and disturbing realism, The Leaping is the first instalment in what is shaping up to be a genre-defining series.

April 2010 Releases | Abaddon

2010-04-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Empires of Salt by Weston Ochse

Publisher: Abaddon
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906735-32-6

Release Date: 15/04/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: 8th Book of a Series

Publisher's Blurb: The Olivers have a chance to make a new home at Salton Sea. Looking forward to California fun, sun and adventure they are unprepared for the ecological devastation they find. The sea is rotting, the town of Bombay Beach is dying and the citizens are like bait, waiting to be plucked from their homes by what comes from the sea. Beware the coming of the green, they say. Beware the coming of the night.

Engines of the Apocalypse by Mike Wild

Publisher: Abaddon
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906735-37-1

Release Date: 15/04/2010
Genre: fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: 6th Book of a Series

Publisher's Blurb: Giant dwarven sirens rise from the ground and, all across Twilight, magic stops. Blamed for the emergence of these machines Kali Hooper faces execution until a mysterious stranger offers her a deal. In order to keep her life, Kali is to help find the tyrannical head of the Final Faith, Katherine Makennon. Kali joins old enemies and unexpected allies in an epic quest that pits her against the dark machinations of the Pale Lord and reveals secrets not even she could have guessed at!

April 2010 Releases | Gollancz

2010-04-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Halfway to the Grave by Jaeniene Frost

Publisher: Orion Books (GOLLANCZ)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780575093775

Release Date: 08/04/2010
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series/Stand Alone: Book 1 of the Night Huntress series

Publisher's Blurb: Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield hunts the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father. When she's captured by bounty hunter vampire Bones, she finds herself forced into an unholy partnership – but it's one she soon starts to warm to. The first in the New York Times bestselling Night Huntress series is a smart, sexy affair and perfect for fans of the True Blood TV series.

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill

Publisher: Orion Books (GOLLANCZ)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780575094055

Release Date: 08/04/2010
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series/Stand Alone: Book 2 of the Chicagoland Vampires series

Publisher's Blurb: Vampires have assumed an almost celebrity-like status. Relations between them and humans remain civil, but that might change when word gets out about some vampires rounding up humans like cattle for feeding. Our heroine Merit is asked to be a liaison between humans and vampires, and to keep the more unsavoury aspects of their lifestyle out of the public eye. But someone isn't so keen on peaceful co-existence. An ancient grudge is about to resurface.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Publisher: Orion Books (GOLLANCZ)
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780575090903

Release Date: 08/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Companion novel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Publisher's Blurb: Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town behind the Barrier. But there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back; Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest, but, like the dead in their world, secrets don’t stay buried. Carrie Ryan's second novel returns to the world of The Unconsecrated in another gripping page-turner which is set to match the success of its predecessor.

New Model Army by Adam Roberts

Publisher: Orion Books (GOLLANCZ)

Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780575083615

Release Date: 15/04/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: In the future war will be everyone's choice. 20 years from now the UK is falling apart. Civil war has broken out. But this is a new kind of war fought by a new kind of army. An army of free men, free to decide when to live, when to die. Adam Roberts' new novel is a story of love and war, but a new, more frightening war.

Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes

Publisher: Orion Books (GOLLANCZ)
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780575090293

Release Date: 15/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 1 of The Aeon's Gate series

Publisher's Blurb: A manuscript that contains all you need to open the undergates has been stolen. And you don't want the undergates open. On the other side are countless invincible demons, and they want out. Lenk and his misfit companions have to get it back. Full of razor-sharp wit and characters who leap off the page, plunging the reader into a vivid world of adventure, this is a fantasy that kicks off a series that could dominate the second decade of the century.

The King of the Crags by Stephen Deas

Publisher: Orion Books (GOLLANCZ)
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780575083783

Release Date: 15/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Sequel to The Adamantine Palace

Publisher's Blurb: Prince Jehal has murdered, poisoned and betrayed his way to the top. There is a new speaker for the realms, opposition has been crushed, now he just has to enjoy the fruits of power. And yet, the dragons are stirring... In The King of the Crags Stephen Deas has created an epic world, vivid characters, a plot full of betrayals and the most awesome dragons fantasy has ever seen.

The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry

Publisher: Orion Books (GOLLANCZ)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780575086968

Release Date: 15/04/2010
Genre: Horror
Series/Stand Alone: Sequel to Patient Zero

Publisher's Blurb: Having protected the world from a zombie plague in Patient Zero, Joe Ledger and his crack combat team are thrown into an even more frightening crisis. A genetic-engineering program has been used to create the ultimate fighting machine – soldiers bred for war, soldiers with greater strength, higher reaction speeds and an utter disregard for pain. It's enough to make anyone long for zombies...

April 2010 Releases | Voyager

2010-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett

Publisher: HarperCollins Voyager
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780007276165

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 2 of The Demon Trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: The Deliverer has returned, but who is he? Arlen Bales, formerly of the small hamlet of Tibbet's Brook, learnt harsh lessons about life as he grew up in a world where hungry demons stalk the night and humanity is trapped by its own fear. He chose a different path; chose to fight inherited apathy and the corelings, and eventually he became the Painted Man, a reluctant saviour. But the figure emerging from the desert, calling himself the Deliverer, is not Arlen. He is a friend and betrayer, and though he carries the spear from the Deliverer's tomb, he also heads a vast army intent on a holy war against the demon plague...and anyone else who stands in his way.

April 2010 Releases | Snow Books

2010-04-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Burton & Swinbourne in the Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack

Publisher: Snow Books
Format: Harback/Paperback
Release Date: 01/04/2010

ISBN: 9781906727505
Genre: Sci Fi/Fantasy
Series/Standalone: First in a Series

Publisher Blurb:

It is 1861, and Albertian Britain is in the grip of conflicting forces. Engineers transform the landscape with bigger, faster, noisier and dirtier technological wonders; Eugenicists develop specialist animals to provide unpaid labour; Libertines oppose restrictive and unjust laws and flood the country with propaganda demanding a society based on beauty and creativity; while The Rakes push the boundaries of human behaviour to the limits with magic, sexuality, drugs and anarchy. Returning from his failed expedition to find the source of the Nile, explorer, linguist, scholar and swordsman Sir Richard Francis Burton finds himself sucked into the perilous depths of this moral and ethical vacuum when the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, employs him as a Spy. His first mission: to investigate the sexual assaults committed by a weird apparition known as Spring Heeled Jack; to find out why chimney sweeps are being kidnapped by half-man, half-dog creatures; and to discover the whereabouts of his badly injured former friend, John Hanning Speke.

Bloodletting by Michael McBride

Publisher: Snow Books
Format: Paperback
Release Date: 01/04/2010

ISBN: 9781906727437
Genre: Horror
Series/Standalone: Standalone

Publisher Blurb:

Without order nothing can exist, without chaos nothing can evolve. The butchered remains of twelve year-old Jasmine Rivers are discovered in the cellar of an abandoned farmhouse on the desolate eastern plains of Colorado, the fourth mutilated body found in the last two months. The FBI is still searching for the missing parts of the previous three. Hundreds of miles away in Arizona, eleven corpses are exhumed from the Sonoran Desert. They've been mummified and bundled in the traditional Inca style. But the Inca lived in South America, and these bodies aren't centuries old. Seemingly unrelated victims that share a common cause of death: exsanguination. Special Agent Paxton Carver follows the trail of blood, which leads him to the continuation of genetic experimentation that began during World War II and a designer retrovirus capable of altering human chromosomes. Can he track down the virus and prevent further exposure before the real bloodletting begins?

Flu by Wayne Simmons

Publisher:Snow Books
Format: Paperback
Release Date: 01/04/2010

ISBN: 9781906727192
Genre: Horror
Series/Standalone: Standalone

Publisher Blurb:

There's a nasty flu going round. An epidemic, they call it. The posters say to cover your mouth when you sneeze, and throw away the tissue. But such simple measures won't stop this flu. Because when you catch the flu, armed police come and lock you in your house to die alone. When you catch this flu, it kills you in days. And when you catch this flu, two hours after it's killed you, your eyelids snap open again... FLU is a pacey, terrifying, frighteningly real zombie horror story.

April 2010 Releases | Orbit

2010-04-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781841497570Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 2 of the Sabina Kane series

Publisher's Blurb: Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of 'Chosen' who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny. But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple - but it looks like it wants to bite back.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781841497990Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 5 of the Mercy Thompson series

Publisher's Blurb: Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe, and now the leader of the werewolf pack - who's maybe-more-than-just-a-friend - has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they're all about to find out how implacable - and dangerous - the fae can be. OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday ...

The Magician's Apprentice by Trudi Canavan

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781841495903

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Prequel to Black Magician trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: In the remote village of Mandryn, Tessia serves as assistant to her father, the village Healer - much to the frustration of her mother, who would rather she found a husband. But her life is about to take a very unexpected turn. When treating a patient at the residence of the local magician, Lord Dakon, Tessia is forced to fight off the advances of a visiting Sachakan mage - and instinctively uses magic. She now finds herself facing an entirely different future as Lord Dakon's apprentice. But along with the excitement and privilege, Tessia is about to discover that her magical gifts bring with them a great deal of responsibility. Events are brewing that will lead nations into war, rival magicians into conflict, and spark an act of sorcery so brutal that its effects will be felt for centuries ...

The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781841498218Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: The first book in the Moorehawke Trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: Young Wynter Moorehawke returns to court with her dying father, but her old home is cloaked in fear. Once-benevolent King Jonathon is now a violent despot, terrorising his people while his son Alberon plots a coup from exile. Then darkness spreads as the King appoints Alberon's half-brother Razi as heir. Wynter must watch her friend obey his father's untenable commands, as those they love are held to ransom. And at the heart of matters lies a war machine so lethal that none dare speak of it. The kingdom would belong to its master, yet the consequences of using it are too dire to consider. But temptation has ever been the enemy of reason.

May Contain Traces of Magic by Tom Holt

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781841495064Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: There are all kinds of products. The good ones. The bad ones. The ones that stay in the garage mouldering for years until your garden gnome makes a home out of them. Most are harmless if handled properly, even if they do contain traces of peanuts. But some are not. Not the ones that contain traces of magic. Chris Popham wasn't paying enough attention when he talked to his SatNav. Sure, she gave him directions, never backtalked him, and always led him to his next spot on the map with perfect accuracy. She was the best thing in his life. So was it really his fault that he didn't start paying attention when she talked to him? In his defence, that was her job. But when 'Take the next right' turned into 'Excuse me,' that was when the real trouble started. Because sometimes a SatNav isn't a SatNav. Sometimes it's an imprisoned soul trapped inside a metal box that will do anything it can to get free. And some products you just can't return.

Changes by Jim Butcher

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781841497136

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 12 of the Dresden Files

Publisher's Blurb: I answered the phone, no big deal, until I heard the message: 'They've taken our daughter.' Harry Dresden, professional wizard, has never faced anything like this. Arianna Ortega, Red Court vampire, blames Harry for her husband's death - and she's out for revenge. So her discovery that Susan Rodriguez had borne Harry a daughter was an unexpected gift. Arianna's next step was to kidnap the girl and she plans to use her blood in a violent ritual sacrifice designed to kill Harry, Susan and their daughter. With the White Council of Wizards and the Red Court in a state of detente, Harry finds himself alone except for a handful of allies - resources utterly inadequate to challenging the Red King and his entire vampire Court. With the life of his child at stake, Susan's humanity hanging in precarious balance and with his own death looming, Dresden must find a new source of strength. In the past, there had always been a line Harry wouldn't cross, and though dark powers have tempted him time and again, he never gave in. But then, only his own life was at stake.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781841497129

Release Date: 06/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: The third book in the Darkest Powers trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: The nail-biting climax to Kelley Armstrong's bestselling Darkest Powers trilogy - Chloe Saunders is fifteen and would love to be normal. Unfortunately, Chloe happens to be a genetically engineered necromancer who can raise the dead without even trying. She and her equally gifted (or should that be 'cursed'?) friends are now running for their lives from the evil corporation that created them. As if that's not enough, Chloe is struggling with her feelings for Simon, a sweet-tempered sorcerer, and his brother Derek, a not so sweet-tempered werewolf. And she has a horrible feeling she's leaning towards the werewolf...

Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781841499178

Release Date: 13/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Collection of short stories set in the Otherworld series

Publisher's Blurb: Kelley Armstrong's gripping and imaginative short stories are brought together in a fantastic new collection. A young vampire learns the heavy price of his new existence; black witch Eve Levine meets Kristof Nast, her soul mate and her nemesis; Lucas Cortez, lawyer, sorcerer and unwilling heir to his father's Cabal, sets out on a case that will change his destiny; Paige Winterbourne discovers just how fraught a white (witch) wedding can be and Elena Michaels begins her unwitting journey to a new life ? as the only female werewolf in the world ...These brilliant, self-contained stories are a perfect introduction to the series and a wonderful addition to the existing novels. Tales From the Otherworld will delight fans and curious new readers alike.

Watcher of the Dead by J V Jones

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781841491608

Release Date: 15/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 4 in the Sword of Shadows series

Publisher's Blurb: In the frigid wasteland of the north, Raif Sevrance, Watcher of the Dead, has endured many trials to lay claim to the renowned sword known as Loss. But the price of wielding the legendary weapon is high, and Raif is unsure if he is willing to pay it. Ash Marsh, Daughter of the Sull, still struggles to come to terms with her heritage, and the knowledge that the Watcher, armed with Loss, could be the one who will save the Sull ? or end them. Raina Blackhail, widow of a murdered ruler and wife of his brutal successor, has seen her clan disgraced and has, herself, taken up the mantle of chief. But there are enemies both beyond her gates and within. And in the murky swamps of the Stillwater, two children will learn the secrets of the Marsh clan. Secrets so old they threaten everything ...

The Orphaned Worlds by Michael Cobley

Publisher: Little, Brown (ORBIT)
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781841496337

Release Date: 29/04/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: Book two of Humanity's Fire

Publisher's Blurb: Darien is no longer a lost outpost of humanity, but the prize in an intergalactic power struggle. Hegemony forces have a stranglehold over the planet and crack troops patrol its hotspots while Earth watches, passive, rendered impotent by galactic politics. But its Darien ambassador will soon become a player in a greater conflict. There is more at stake than a turf war on a newly discovered world. An ancient Uvovo temple hides access to a hyperspace prison, housing the greatest threat sentient life has ever known. Millennia ago, malignant intelligences were caged there following an apocalyptic war. And their servants work on their release. However, Darien's guardians have not been idle, gathering resistance on the planet's forest moon. Knowledge has been lost since great races battled in eons past, and now time is short. The galaxy will depend on the Uvovo reclaiming their past - and humanity must look to its future. For a new war is coming.

April 2010 Releases | Black Library

2010-04-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Nagash the Unbroken by Mike Lee

Publisher: Black Library
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781844167906

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Tie In - Warhammer Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 2 in the Rise of Nagash trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: The powerful necromancer Nagash, having suffered defeat on the battlefield at the hands of the priest kings, is forced to lick his wounds in the mountains of Nehekhara. Over time he rebuilds his strength and finds new allies in the skaven, mutant ratmen that live beneath the earth. In his new lair of Cripple Peak, the necromancer discovers something dark and powerful - warpstone. Coveted by the skaven, this magical rock could make the evil Nagash unstoppable...The Time of Legends series continues with the second book in the Rise of Nagash trilogy, an epic story of power and revenge for all lovers of dark fantasy and the World of Warhammer.

Flesh and Iron by Henry Zou

Publisher: Black Library
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781844168149

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Tie In - Warhammer 40,000
Series/Stand Alone: Prequel to Emperor's Mercy

Publisher's Blurb: There are reports of an uprising on the planet of Solo-Baston. Indigenous forces are rebelling against Imperial rule, led by the mysterious 'Dos Pares'. Amidst the conflict, the 31st Riverine Imperial Guard are dispatched to seek and destroy a vital piece of weaponry, but find themselves beset on all sides by hostile forces. And what they originally thought was simple tribal warfare soon reveals a much more sinister activity. Henry Zou's latest novel serves as a prequel to Emperor's Mercy and delivers non-stop action and mystery in the grim world of Warhammer 40,000.

The Lost by Dan Abnett

Publisher: Black Library
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781844168187

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Tie In - Warhammer 40,000
Series/Stand Alone: The 13th book in the Gaunt's Ghost series

Publisher's Blurb: The Tanith First-And-Only are among the most legendary regiments of Imperial Guard and at their head stands Commissar Ibram Gaunt, unflinching in duty and unrelenting in combat. The Lost sees the very future of the regiment in jeopardy as Gaunt battles the forces of Chaos across the Sabbat Worlds, from rescue missions to the horrors of the battlefield, the Tanith First-And-Only must survive extreme dangers or be forever lost.

April 2010 Releases | Orion Books

2010-04-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Sleepless by Charlie Huston

Publisher: Orion Books
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781409114994

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Sci-Fi
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: When a plague of sleeplessness attacks Los Angeles and the world beyond, LAPD cop Parker T. Haas’ cast-iron sense of right and wrong is tested to destruction. As Haas negotiates the increasingly chaotic and dangerous world of a city slowly going mad, he crosses the path of a fanatically amoral hired killer. Parker must figure out how to save his wife Rose – herself a victim of the disease – and their newborn baby, whose uncertain future is coming into being before their eyes.

April 2010 Releases | Tor UK

2010-04-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

Shadow Of The Scorpion by Neal Asher

Publisher: Tor UK
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780330478779

Release Date: 02/04/10
Genre: Sci-Fi
Series/Stand Alone: Prequel to the Cormac series

Publisher's Blurb: Another stunning space drama featuring agent Cormac and the horrific legacy of the Prador Wars. Raised to adulthood during the end of the war between the human Polity and the vicious arthropoid race, the Prador, Ian Cormac is haunted by childhood memories of a sinister scorpion-shaped war drone and the burden of losses he doesn’t remember. In the years following the war he signs up with Earth Central Security, and is sent out to help either restore or simply maintain order on worlds devastated by Prador bombardment. There he discovers that though the old enemy remains as murderous as ever, it is not anywhere near as perfidious or dangerous as some of his fellow humans, some of them closer to him than he would like. Amidst the ruins left by wartime genocides, he discovers in himself a cold capacity for violence, learns some horrible truths about his own past and, set upon a course of vengeance, tries merely to stay alive.

April 2010 Releases | Atom

2010-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781905654789

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 3 of the Blue Bloods series

Publisher's Blurb: For the Young, Fabulous and Fanged...All is never what it seems. Schuyler Van Alen's blood legacy has just been called into question: is the young vampire in fact a Blue Blood, or is it the sinister Silver Blood that runs through her veins? As controversy swirls, Schuyler is left stranded in the Force household, trapped under the same roof as her cunning nemesis, Mimi Force, and her forbidden crush, Jack Force. But when an ancient place of power is threatened in Rio de Janeiro, the Blue Bloods need Schuyler on their side. The stakes are high, the battle is bloody; and through it all Schuyler is torn between duty and passion, love and freedom. Romance, glamour and vampire lore collide in the highly anticipated third book in best-selling author Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series.

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781905654796

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 4 of the Blue Bloods series

Publisher's Blurb: With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss's true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry, love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Jack and Schuyler are over. Oliver's brokenhearted. And only the cunning Mimi seems to be happily engaged. Young, fabulous and fanged, Melissa de la Cruz's vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth instalment of the Blue Bloods series.

Marked (coloured edges - limited edition release) by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781907410116

Release Date: 27/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 1 of the House of Night series

Publisher's Blurb: When sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird gets Marked as a fledgling vampire she must join the House of Night school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change. But Zoe is no ordinary fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the Goddess Nyx and discovers her amazing new power to conjure the elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. When Zoey discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look within herself to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampire friends.

Betrayed (coloured edges - limited edition release) by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781907410123

Release Date: 27/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 2 of the House of Night series

Publisher's Blurb: It seems that (un)life is going pretty well for Zoey Redbird. She's settled in at the House of Night finishing school and is coming to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her. She even has a boyfriend ...or two. Best of all, Zoey finally feels she has found somewhere she belongs. Then the unthinkable happens. Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the vampires at Zoey's school. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey's past life, she begins to realise that the very powers that made her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night. Zoey finds herself facing a betrayal that could break her heart and jeopardise the very fabric of her world.

Chosen (coloured edges - limited edition release) by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781907410130

Release Date: 27/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 3 of the House of Night series

Publisher's Blurb: "I guess it had gone okay with Stevie Rae. I mean, she had agreed to meet me tomorrow. And she hadn't tried to bite me, which was a plus. Of course, the whole trying-to-eat-the-street-person thing was highly disturbing ..." Zoey's best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead - in an eww! zombie! kind-of-way, not in a cool vampire kind-of-way. She's struggling to retain her humanity and Zoey doesn't have a clue how to help. But she does know that anything they discover must be kept secret. Trust has become a rare commodity. Sinister forces are at work at the House of Night, where the line between friend and enemy is becoming dangerously blurred.

Untamed (coloured edges - limited edition release) by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781907410147

Release Date: 27/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 4 of the House of Night series

Publisher's Blurb: A week ago Zoey had a group of special friends, three boyfriends and a (kinda) clear conscience. Now she has none of the above. Luckily ice-queen Aphrodite is showing signs of melting and ex-roomie Stevie Rae isn't as dead as she'd thought. Though Stevie's now hanging out in tunnels with freaks - gross. If she can get them to listen, Zoey will need all her friends as events take a frightening turn at the House of Night school for vampyres. Shocking true intentions are about to come to light, loyalties will be tested and an ancient evil is about to rise again. Some days being special just doesn't seem all that...

Hunted (coloured edges - limited edition release) by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781907410154

Release Date: 27/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 5 of the House of Night series

Publisher's Blurb: 'The door closed with a sickening thud of finality, shutting my friends out and leaving me alone with my enemy, a fallen angel, and the monstrous bird creature his ancient lust had created. Then I did something I'd only done twice before in my entire life. I fainted.' It's all happening, though Zoey Redbird wishes it wasn't. She has her friends back, which is great. But a dark angel has taken over the House of Night, supported by High Priestess Neferet. Not so great. This leaves Zoey hiding out with the (supposedly friendly) red fledglings in Tulsa's prohibition-era tunnels. The not greatness continues. Zoey has some boy-thoughts to distract her, with a chance to make-up with super-hot-ex Eric. But thoughts of the archer that died, semi-permanently, in her arms also keep distracting her. Then he shows up as Neferet's newest minion. Well, hell. Zoey and friends need a plan to put things right, soon, if she's to keep both head and heart intact.

Tempted (coloured edges - limited edition release) by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781905654581

Release Date: 27/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 6 of the House of Night series

Publisher's Blurb: Zoey needs a break after some serious excitement. Sadly, the House of Night school for vampyres doesn't feature breaks on its curriculum - even for a High Priestess in training and her gang. Plus juggling three guys is no stress reliever, especially when one is a sexy Warrior so into protecting Zoey that he's sensing her emotions. Wider stresses lurk too, and the dark force in Tulsa's tunnels is spreading. Could Stevie Rae be responsible for more than a group of misfit fledglings? And Aphrodite's visions warn Zoey to stay away from the immortal Kalona and his dark allure - but they also show that only Zoey can stop him. She's not exactly keen to meet up, but if Zoey don't go to Kalona he'll exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. She just has to find the courage to do what's necessary, or everything that's important to her will be destroyed.

Burned by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Publisher: Little, Brown (ATOM)
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781905654819

Release Date: 27/04/2010
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Stand Alone: Book 7 of the House of Night series

Publisher's Blurb: Y'all need to get yourselves together. Here's a newsflash from the only High Priestess you have left at this dang school: Zoey isn't dead. And believe me, I know dead. I've been there, done that and got the fricken tee-shirt. Zoey Redbird is the youngest High Priestess in House of Night history and might just be the only person ? vamp or fledgling ? that can stop the evil Neferet from raising all kinds of immortal trouble. And just she might have a chance if she wasn't so busy being dead. Well, dead is too strong a word. Stevie Rae knows she can bring her BFF back from her unscheduled va-cay in the Otherworld. But it's going to take a lot more than hoping to bring Zoey back and might just mean Stevie Rae has to give up a few secrets of her own...

April 2010 Releases | Simon & Schuster UK

2010-04-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781847375636

Release date: April 1, 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: The 1st volume in the Chronicles of Siala trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: After centuries of calm, the Nameless One is stirring. An army is gathering: giants, ogres and other creatures joining forces from across the Desolate Lands, united for the first time in history under one black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the great city of Avendoom. Unless Shadow Harold, master thief, can find some way to stop them. Epic fantasy at its best, Shadow Prowler is the first in a trilogy that follows professional thief Shadow Harold on his quest for a magic Horn that will restore peace to the kingdom of Siala. Accompanied by an elfin princess, ten Wild Hearts - the most experienced and dangerous royal fighters - and the King's court jester (who may be more than he seems ... or less), Harold must outwit angry demons, escape the clutches of a band of hired murderers, survive ten bloody skirmishes ... and reach the burial grounds before dark. Can he escape a fate worse than death?

Demon Possessed by Stacia Kane

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1439167613

Release date: April 1, 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 3 in the Megan Chase series

Publisher's Blurb: Psychologist and psychic Megan Chase has grown remarkably comfortable hanging out with demons. The demon "family" she leads is happy, her solo practice is stabilizing, and she and her steamy demon lover, Greyson Dante, are closer than ever. But when the couple books a week at a luxury hotel to attend a meeting of demon leaders, some unanticipated problems appear. An FBI agent with an unhealthy interest in less-than-legitimate demon business practices shows up; the demon community is urging Megan to undergo the rite that will make her a real demon; and a slightly shady minister is holding one of his wildly popular "weekend exorcisms" just down the road. And oh, yes, someone with scary magical abilities is attempting to kill her. Then, just when it seems as if things couldn't possibly get any worse, a secret comes to light that could jeopardize Megan and Greyson's future -- if Megan manages to live that long. With things heating up, it's becoming difficult for her to keep a cool head...

Star Trek: Seven Deadly Sins edited by Margaret Clark
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Format: Trade Paperback

ISBN: 1439109443

Publication date: April 6, 2010

Genre: Sci Fi Tie In
Stand Alone/Series: Stand Alone but part of Star Trek

Publisher's Blurb: The seven deadly sins are a human concept -- but we are not the only ones to whom they can apply. This collection of novellas explores seven of Star Trek's most intriguing alien civilizations from the point of view of the qualities that have shaped both their perspective and their history. Through characters who are as compelling as they are provocative we enter the world of the Borg (gluttony), the Klingons (wrath), the Romulans (pride), The Mirror Universe (lust), the Cardassians (envy), the Ferengi (greed) and the Pakleds (sloth). Seven favourite alien races in the hands of seven different Star Trek authors make a feast of deadly sins for all Star Trek fans to enjoy!

Succubi Like it Hot by Jill Myles

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Format: Mass Market Paperback

ISBN: 141657283X

Release date: April 15, 2010

Genre: Fantasy

Series/Stand Alone: Book 2 in a series.

Publisher's Blurb: Jackie Brighton's life as a succubus is going great: she's gone from mousy to bombshell, and although she has to have sex every forty-eight hours or die, she has two hot guys - the vampire Zane and the angel Noah - to scratch her Itch. But then her Itch accelerates to every twenty-four hours, and she's suddenly waking people's unconscious just by touching them. Something's out of control so she and Remy, her mentor, go on an adventure-filled road trip to New Orleans to consult with the oldest succubus in the United States. Jackie learns she's been cursed by a vampire queen - and reversing the curse demands a price she's not willing to pay.

Embers by Laura Bickle

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 1439167656

Release date: April 29, 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 1 in the Anya Kalinczyk series.

Publisher's Blurb: Unemployment, despair, anger—visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit’s unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city. Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya—who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern—suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil’s Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya—with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team—can stop it. Anya’s accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she’s risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she’s ever faced.

Slum Online by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Format: Trade Paperback

ISBN: 1421534398

Release date: April 29, 2010

Genre: Sci Fi

Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: "...I log in and Tetsuo comes to Versus Town. A make-believe man in a make-believe city. He was new there, and he had come for one thing: to fight." Etsuro Sakagami is a college student who feels uncomfortable in reality, but when he logs onto the combat Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game Versus Town, he becomes "Tetsuo," a karate champion on his way to becoming the most powerful martial artist around. While his relationship with new classmate Fumiko goes nowhere, Etsuro spends his days and nights online in search of the invincible fighter Slasher Jack. Drifting between the virtual and the real, will Etsuro ever be ready to face his most formidable opponent?

Star Trek: Unspoken Truth by Margaret Wander Bonanno

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Format: Mass Market Paperback

ISBN: 1439102198

Release date: April 29, 2010

Genre: Sci Fi Tie In

Stand Alone/Series: Part of the Star Trek Series

Publisher's Blurb: A wild child, Saavik was left to die on a world so horrifying that it was known as Hellguard. She was rescued by Spock, who took the half-Vulcan, half-Romulan home to his parents, trusting that they would be able to care for the troubled child. Later she would follow Spock into Starfleet. Now a fully-fledged Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Saavik returns to Vulcan only to find that other Hellguard survivors are being killed one by one. With her life under threat, can she ever call Vulcan home? Forced to choose, which will she embrace: the pacifism of Vulcan, or the violence that is the Romulan half of her heritage? Not knowing where to turn or whom she can trust Saavik struggles to discover where her true loyalties lie.

The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Format: Trade Paperback

ISBN: 1421534401

Release date: April 29, 2010
Genre: Sci Fi
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: "That one was the most beautiful machine I had ever laid eyes on." In a world where humans are the minority and androids have created their own civilization, a wandering storyteller meets the beautiful android Ibis. She tells him seven stories of human/android interaction in order to reveal the secret behind humanity's fall. The stories that Ibis speaks are of the "seven novels" about the events surrounding the announcements of the development of artificial intelligence in the 20th and 21st centuries. At a glance, these stories do not appear to have any sort of connection, but what is the true meaning behind them? What are Ibis's real intentions?

Star Trek Online: The Needs of the Many by Michael A. Martin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 143918657X

Release Date: April 29, 2010
Genre: Sci Fi Tie In
Series/Stand Alone: Part of Star Trek Series

Publisher's Blurb: Prior to the terror-filled times of the Long War -- the seemingly endless struggle against the Undine, a paranoid, shapeshifting race once known only as Species 8472 -- enemy sleeper agents quietly penetrated every echelon of Federation society, as well as other starfaring civilizations throughout the Alpha and Beta quadrants. The ensuing conflict shook humanity to is very core, often pitting its highest ideals against a pure survival instinct. All too often the Undine War demanded the harshest of sacrifices and exacted the steepest of personal costs. Drawn from his exhaustive research and interviews, The Needs of the Many delivers a glimpse of Betar Prize-winning author Jake Sisko's comprehensive 'living history' of ths tumultuous era. With collaborator Michael A. Martin, Sisko illuminates an often poorly-understood time, an age marked equally by fear and by courage.

April 2010 Releases | Angry Robot Books

2010-04-01T04:00:00.001-07:00

Amortals by Matt Forbeck

Publisher: Angry Robot Books (part of HarperCollins)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007333974

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: Today you die. Today you are reborn. Today you hunt the man who killed you. It's Lee Child vs. Altered Carbon in a high-tech blast of tough-as-nails future thrills. Matt Forbeck arrives as the new king of high-concept - with a blockbuster action movie in a book. In the near future, scientists solve the problem of mortality by learning how to backup and restore a persons memories into a vat-bred clone. When Secret Service agent Ronan "Methusaleh" Dooley is brutally murdered, he's brought back from the dead to hunt his killer, and in doing so uncover a terrible conspiracy.

White Tiger by Kylie Chan

Publisher: Angry Robot Books (part of HarperCollins)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007349791

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 1 of the Dark Heavens trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: Emma Donahue went to Hong Kong to become a nanny to John Chen's daughter. But John's world is different, and he is no ordinary businessman - all the gods, demons and dragons in hell want him dead. And though she doesn't know it, Emma holds the power to save them all...

Red Phoenix by Kylie Chan

Publisher: Angry Robot Books (part of HarperCollins)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007349807

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 2 of the Dark Heavens trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: The demon threat closes around mortals and gods alike...When Emma became nanny to John Chen's daughter, she never expected to be caring for the child of a Chinese god, or that all the demons in hell would want him dead. Now she's in love with John, and they are hunted from China to Europe by a race of demons. But who are the real pawns in this deadly celestial game?

Blue Dragon by Kylie Chan

Publisher: Angry Robot Books (part of HarperCollins)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007349814

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 3 of the Dark Heavens trilogy

Publisher's Blurb: The forces of Hell are poised to strike! Emma's beloved, John Chen, is a 3000 year old Chinese god. He is becoming weaker by the day in his battle to protect her and his daughter from the Demons who pursue them relentlessly. But it is Emma who is nagged by doubts about her own nature, and must find the courage to save them all!

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

Publisher: Angry Robot Books (part of HarperCollins)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007327683

Release Date: 29/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: Zinzi has a talent for finding lost things. To save herself, she's got to find the hardest thing of all: The truth.

Damage Time by Colin Harvey

Publisher: Angry Robot Books (part of HarperCollins)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007327836

Release Date: 29/04/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Publisher's Blurb: It's 2050 and sea-levels have swamped today's coastal regions. New York City is protected by tidal barriers and the USA is bankrupt. Detective Pervez (Pete) Shah serves with the NYPD's Web Crimes Division as a Memory Association Specialist. When he's accused of murdering a glamorous woman in a bar, he must find the killer, save himself and the world.

Soul Stealers by Andy Remic

Publisher: Angry Robot Books (part of HarperCollins)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007324163

Release Date: 29/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 2 of the Clockwork Vampires Chronicles

Publisher's Blurb: Kell is being hunted. The vampires are fighting back against him, and the mighty hero finds himself the prey of two beautiful but deadly vampire assassins. Their bronze fangs are coming for him. He will strike back.

April 2010 Releases | Headline Publishing Group

2010-04-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hell's Belles by Paul Magrs

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780755346462

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 4 of the Adventures of Brenda and Effie

Publisher's Blurb: Penny is running away from a life of domestic strife and into mysterious Whitby -- where she hopes to find herself. But in her quest for self-discovery, Penny may have stumbled on something far more sinister: the gateway to hell. For Whitby is no ordinary seaside resort, and all that keeps the evil at bay are Brenda and Effie -- two very unusual old ladies. When a film crew comes to town to remake the sixties schlock horror movie Get Thee Inside Me, Satan, Brenda and Effie suspect something strange is afoot. Female lead Karla Sorenson is reprising her role and she doesn't look like she's aged a day. Surely that's not possible? Then there are the disturbing rumours surrounding the original movie -- a cult classic that is, quite literally, spell-binding. As events spool out of control, Penny's new boss Robert draws her deeper into the movie's peculiar mystery. But can it be stopped before all hell breaks loose?

Micah & Strange Candy by Laurell K Hamilton

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780755355440

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 13 of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series

Publisher's Blurb: MICAH 'Raising the dead is easy. Love is hard.' There are lots of reasons to raise the dead -- some private, some public. In this case, the feds have a witness who died before he could speak on the record. They want him raised so his testimony can be taken. So here I am, Anita Blake, necromancer, on a plane to Philadelphia, flying off to do my job. But I'm not alone: Micah, head of the St Louis wereleopards, is with me. I'm happy to have him at my side. Until he mentions that this will be our first time alone together. Just me and Micah. And all my fears and doubts...STRANGE CANDY Fantastical fairy tales that will leave you craving more: from the woman who marries into a family of wizards to a couple fleeing a gang of love-hungry cupids, readers will revel in these unique visions.

Danse Macabre by Laurell K Hamilton

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780755355419

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 14 of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series

Publisher's Blurb: 'It was the middle of November, I was supposed to be out jogging, but instead I was sitting at my breakfast table talking about men, sex, werewolves and vampires. I should be concentrating on my dangerous situation -- the ardeur between me and Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, and Richard, my werewolf lover, is reaching new levels, evolving into something altogether new, acting with a will of its own.' But instead Anita Blake, preternatural expert and feared executioner, is less interested in vampire politics than in the ancient, ordinary dread that women down the ages have experienced: am I pregnant? And, if so, is the father a vampire, a werewolf or someone else entirely. And being a Federal Marshall, known for raising the dead and hunting vampires, is no way to bring up a baby.

The Harlequin by Laurell K Hamilton

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780755355426

Release Date: 01/04/2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series/Stand Alone: Book 15 of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series

Publisher's Blurb: 'They will play with us, then destroy us...They are what we fear in the dark.' The first warning is unexpected, calculated. The second warning is a gift: a plain white mask, carefully wrapped. But white is good -- white means we are only being watched. It seems the power that connects me, Anita Blake, with Jean-Claude Vampire Master of the City and Richard, leader of the werewolves, is attracting very unwelcome attention -- from creatures so feared no vampire will willingly speak their name. They are known as the Harlequin, and they have the authority to pass judgement upon me. It is forbidden to speak of the Harlequin unless you've been contacted. And to be contacted is to face a sentence of death.

Scrying the Fantastic - An Introduction

2010-03-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Scrying the Fantastic is a new initiative, brought to you by a international team of bloggers. The idea was conceived from the frustration of not having an existing resource to discover the forthcoming releases in the field of speculative fiction. We hope that you will be able to utilise this database of posts, sorted by publisher, month and year, using the tags. If you have any questions or you want to nudge us in the direction of publishers we might have neglected, please do email us at scryingthefantastic[at]gmail[dot]com.

You might notice that we have neglected to link the book titles through to a book purchasing site. This was a very conscious decision on our part: we are a non-profit-making organisation so have no need to affiliate for this reason; we also didn't like the idea of just linking with one company; and, lastly, we assume that our visitors will have their preferred location for buying books. We're just here to point you in the right direction to find books you might have missed or didn't realise were being released!

We're working closely with a number of publishers to bring you the most up-to-date information we possibly can, but we hope you realise that the further away publication date is, the less likely a book will be released exactly when stated. The yearly posts for each publisher are there more as a guide to what books might be released in 2010 - rely more on the monthly posts by publication for correct information.

Without further ado, please let me introduce the members contributing to Scrying the Fantastic:

1) First up is me - being Amanda from Floor to Ceiling Books. I wondered about the possibility of a resource like this, and floated the idea past a number of other bloggers, surprised when six jumped straight on board. I have spent a great deal of time in the past on publisher sites and websites where you can purchase books, and found it extremely difficult to come up with a list of forthcoming speculative fiction, and so Scrying the Fantastic stemmed from my fruitless quests. I am hoping that it will prove useful but I am very willing to hear new ideas or suggestions for changes from those who pop over to visit!

2) Second is Harry, diabolical mind behind Temple Library Reviews. He has this to say: 'Oh, boy, where to start with Scrying for the Fantastic. In short, what I hope to achieve is to establish a unified data base, dedicated solely to index upcoming releases from reputable and well known SFF imprints. As a book addict, I want to experience as much as possible from today's fiction and most of the time I fail to inform myself what is to hit the shelves or has hit the shelves recently. I want to be in the know; a need, which I believe is shared by many. Clicking one link instead of tens and sometimes even hundreds is convenient. Right now we are launching with a moderate number of publishers represented, but I envision Scrying the Fantastic to expand, so that we can cover US publishers and imprints located in Australia, for instance. Of course, along with the list of publishers, I am hoping for multiplying our team of contributors, until Scrying the Fantastic becomes a worldwide network. This is far away, but we will definitely work towards such best case scenario.'

3) Third is Adele from Un:bound, and she says (in a short but very sweet manner): 'As a blogger I am constantly looking up cover shots or release dates (particularly when US reviews start to come out) so when I was asked to become part of this genre fiction resource I jumped at it. I am delighted to be part of such a great team of bloggers.'

4) Let me introduce you to Niall, from The Speculative Scotsman: 'I've long wondered why a resource such as Scrying the Fantastic doesn't already exist. I mean, this is the internet; there are a hundred sites competing for our attention in every other area, so why not this one? From everything I've heard from those I've spoken to about the project - not to mention all the publishers that have jumped on board the moment we mentioned Scrying the Fantastic to them - it's evidently not for a lack of interest. And perhaps it's fortuitous that there isn't already a UK-centric resource for details of forthcoming speculative fiction, because hey, that means I get to be a part of the very thing I've hungered so long for! I couldn't be happier than to play some part in this exciting joint venture, not least because of the prestige of the veritable Justice League of bloggers working together to make Scrying the Fantastic a reality. And it's only going to go from strength to strength. Give us a little time to get the engines firing and I don't doubt we'll be scrying the fantastic the whole world over before you know it. Long story short: if you've ever tired of trolling Amazon or The Book Depository in search of a good new book to excite your literary appetite, you've come to the perfect place, where we do all the trolling so you don't have to! A very warm welcome to everyone who makes Scrying the Fantastic one of their regular resources... I hope you'll find your time here well spent.'

5) Fifth is Mark, the Walker of Worlds: 'When Amanda approached me with the idea of doing a collaborative resource with all upcoming book releases in the speculative fiction genres I thought it was a great idea - after all, bringing together information from a variety of sources in one central location is just the ticket for any book lover to see what's coming up. I've been doing a monthly post on my blog, Walker of Worlds, since August 2008 and have been slowly expanding to include as much information as possible, so I know first-hand how frustrating it can be to find accurate information on what books are due out from SFF publishers. Scrying the Fantastic will hopefully become the place to come for forthcoming book release information and I am so psyched about this project and hope everyone that visits also feels the same way!'

6) Welcome our American correspondent - Bryce, owner of Seak's Stamp of Approval: 'When I found out what a great group of people was involved in this endeavor, I couldn't help but be excited to join in. I like to mention the new releases I'm excited for, but I always know I'm missing something. With publishers and bloggers working together its win win all the way and Scrying the Fantastic makes that possible with all the info you need in one handy place. As the only American here, I just hope everyone can stand my accent... :)'

7) Last, but by no means least, we have Jason, otherwise known as Kamvision: 'When Amanda first mentioned this concept to me, I thought, wow! What a brilliant idea. Then I thought, damn! That's a lot of work. I think I was right on both counts. The idea is great, because it allows everyone: bloggers, fans, buyers, publishers and sellers, to see at a glance what genre releases are forthcoming. We hope to build a resource that is comprehensive, accurate, intuitive and convenient. To produce such a resource also requires a fair bit of work, but we've been very fortunate to have had a great response from all the publishers we've approached, and they have helped to make out task much simpler - thank you! This is just the beginning, and in time I hope that we are able to make this resource the premier destination for anyone seeking book release information across the Speculative Fiction genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, and Young Adult as well. I'm delighted to be part of the Scrying team, and such a great bunch of bloggers and book nuts. As the others have said, please do let us know what works and what doesn't. These are early days and we're keen to hear your feedback. I always wanted to be part of a supergroup, kinda like Emerson, Lake & Palmer or Audioslave, cheers Amanda for the opportunity :)'

Our publishing schedule will involve going live with the forthcoming month's title on the 15th each month (except for the April posts, which you can find here tomorrow! Do check back!). This means on 15th April you will be able to see here the books available to buy in May, and so on through the year.

And I believe that is everything - except to say that we will welcome your comments and we actively encourage you to publicise this resource across the Internet!

April 2010 Releases | Solaris

2010-03-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Age of Zeus by James Lovegrove

Publisher: Solaris
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906735-68-5

Release Date: 05/04/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: 2nd Book of a Series

Publisher's Blurb: The Olympians appeared a decade ago, living incarnations of the Ancient Greek gods on a mission to bring permanent order and stability to the world. Resistance has proved futile, and now humankind is under the jackboot of divine oppression. Until former London police officer Sam Akehurst receives an invitation too tempting to turn down: the chance to join a small band of guerrilla rebels armed with high-tech weapons and battlesuits. Calling themselves the Titans, they square off against the Olympians and their ferocious mythological monsters in a war of attrition which some will not survive.

Shine edited by Jetse de Vries

Publisher: Solaris
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906735-66-1

Release Date: 05/04/2010
Genre: Science Fiction
Series/Stand Alone: Anthology

Publisher's Blurb: Shine: a collection of gems that throw light on a brighter future. Some of the world’s most talented SF writers (including Alastair Reynolds, Kay Keyon and Jason Stoddard) show how things can change for the better. From gritty polyannas to workable futures, from hard-fought progress to a better tomorrow; heart-warming and mind-expanding stories that will (re-) awaken the optimist in you!